Microsoft ups iPad-for-Surface trade-in deal

It's not as simple as all that, however. Microsoft's previous offer covered "gently used" iPad 2, 3, and 4s, which users had to simply tote into a Microsoft store and redeem, in a partnership with CExchange.

With the new deal, there are four steps. First, you'll need to determine how much your old devices is worth via a partnership with Clover Wireless; second, you must buy a new Microsoft device, such as Surface tablet; third, you'll need to ship Clover your old gear. Finally, after some time, Clover will send you a prepaid Visa card with the value of your trade-in stored within it.

Fortunately, you can quickly determine what you'll receive if you happen to be someone who wants to swap their iPad for a Surface. A standard Apple iPad 4 (32 GB) in "good physical condition" is worth $285 in rebates, according to Microsoft, slightly less than half of its $599 retail price. Naturally, the rebate value will vary depending on the make and model of the tablet or phone being exchanged.

If you do want to trade an iPad for a Surface slate, however, there's good news: pricing for the Surface RT starts at $350 for a 32-GB slate. (Even better: If you decide to snag a Surface RT, we can help you unlock the tablet’s super powers.)

However, anyone wanting to swap an iPad for a Surface should be aware that Microsoft is expected to launch the next-generation Surface 2 in less than a week, complete with a fourth-generation Intel "Haswell" Core i5 processor as well as an additional 4GB of RAM, for a total of 8GB. Microsoft should also add a new kickstand to each model, reports have said, as well as launch several new covers, with one Power Cover including a battery for extra battery life.

There doesn't seem to be an expiration date atached to the new offer, but it will be interesting to see what happens if and when the new Surfaces are announced.